


Lullaby

by FaeriexQueen



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22594423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaeriexQueen/pseuds/FaeriexQueen
Summary: It had been a while since Kanda slept well.
Relationships: Kanda Yuu & Noise Marie
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maxxim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxxim/gifts).



The sky was clear and stretched on endlessly.   
  
It was bright blue. The sun hung high above, its warm rays beating down against the sprawling, grassy fields. A gentle breeze swayed the blades, the fresh scent of wildflowers and pollen trickling into the air.  
  
Kanda’s nose scrunched up. The pollen tickled his nose and caused it to itch; he didn’t like it, nor did he like the way the sun beat down onto his body. It was a bit too warm, and it made him sleepy – and Kanda _hated_ feeling sleepy.  
  
 _'Stupid, annoying sun,’_ Kanda thought, as he rubbed his eye. His bangs swayed as he walked, with the rest of his hair pulled back into a small ponytail.   
  
Just ahead of Kanda, Froi Tiedoll and Noise Marie walked. They were both quiet, with Tiedoll holding a sketchbook under his arm. Periodically, Tiedoll would pause, looking around the landscape as though he were speculating whether it was worth stopping for a sketch. However, he continued on, with his two apprentices in tow.  
  
Marie moved beside Tiedoll. Although he had no sight, his other senses were heightened; the fresh scent of grass wafted against his nose and the sound of his units’ footsteps gently rustled in his ears. Behind him, Noise Marie heard Kanda following – though the boy’s steps were at time uneven, and slow.  
  
Marie’s expression turned contemplative, and he angled his face toward Tiedoll. “Maybe we should stop a bit,” Marie suggested, careful to keep his words soft.  
  
Tiedoll looked back at Marie. “Hm?” he hummed, before his attention shifted a bit back to where Kanda was. He saw that the boy was following, but weary; his eyes were tired, and his shoulders slumped. The poor posture caused him to look younger than he actually was, and Tiedoll knew that Kanda was tired.  
  
“We can take a break from walking,” Tiedoll agreed. He looked back at Kanda with a gentle smile. “Would you like to rest for a bit, Kanda?”  
  
Kanda’s eyes flashed, as a spark flared within them. His expression scrunched up in disapproval, a look of offense marring his features. “I don’t need to rest,” he bit back.  
  
Despite Kanda’s snappish response, Tiedoll chuckled. “We can walk a bit farther if you want to,” he offered. “I might need to stop soon though – it’d be a shame to miss out on capturing this lovely landscape.”  
  
Kanda’s scowl remained in place. He didn’t say anything, too determined to keep focused as they trekked on.   
  
The trio walked on a bit more. As they did, Kanda’s vision began to blur. He blinked his eyes as he rubbed them once more, the heat continuously beating down on his body as it threatened to lull him into a daze.   
  
Up ahead, Marie heard Kanda’s footsteps slow behind him. His ears noticed a slight scuffle – the sound of someone stumbling.   
  
Pausing, Marie knelt down. He heard Kanda slow to a stop, just behind him. “Hop on.”  
  
Kanda frowned, his brow furrowing. “Tch. I can walk.”  
  
Marie smiled gently, as he turned his face back toward Kanda. “I know,” he said. “But your legs could probably use a break.”  
  
Kanda’s nose twitched, and he stubbornly crossed his arms. “I’m not _weak_ ,” he argued.   
  
“Never said you were,” Marie pointed out. He paused, before adding thoughtfully, “You carried me once before. Just thought I’d return the favor.”  
  
As Marie said this, Kanda paused. The scowl on his face visibly fractured, and he appeared a bit at a loss for how to respond.  
  
Marie waited. He noticed that Tiedoll had also stopped walking, but his focus remained on the now soundless boy behind him.  
  
A few seconds passed, and there was a shuffle of movement. Gently, Marie felt a pair of small hands clasp at his shoulders.  
  
Grabbing Kanda’s legs, Marie hoisted the boy up. He made sure that Kanda was secure before he started to walk once more, catching up to General Tiedoll.  
  
As they began to walk on once more, Marie noticed the way Kanda’s breathing evened out. The boy’s head rested upon his shoulder, heavy and limp.  
  
In a few moments, Marie knew that Kanda had fallen asleep.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The fire crackled softly, the flames dancing into the cool, night air. Embers glistened as the smoky scent trickled outward, the smell wafting against Kanda warmly.  
  
Kanda shifted his position, his back leaning against a log. They had finally stopped walking once dusk began to settle, the sky melting into dark indigo. It was a clear night, with the stars sprinkled up above; they glistened like tiny specks of diamonds, tauntingly close yet forever out of reach.  
  
Across from Kanda, Tiedoll slept. The man had lost consciousness an hour or so ago, his sketch half-finished as his arms and legs remained cross. Not far off, Marie remained as well; his eyes were also closed, and Kanda suspected that he was also asleep.  
  
Kanda frowned. The temperature had dropped since nightfall, and he tugged his coat around his body. The ground was hard and rocky, with the log jutting against his back awkwardly. It was annoyingly difficult for him to get comfortable, and sleep hardly seemed plausible.  
  
Then again, sleep was never plausible.  
  
Shifting his body once more, Kanda curled up. He rested his side against the log, his eyes wandering to the bright flames. They danced, with several sparks of embers glowing as they spilled into the darkness. Hypnotically, entrancing…  
  
The second Kanda’s eyes closed, an image flashed in his mind. A blade. A lab. _Someone_ …  
  
Eyes opening, Kanda’s alertness returned abruptly. He pushed himself away from the long, scooting closer to the fire as he crossed his legs.  
  
“You can’t sleep?”  
  
Kanda turned, his attention landing on Marie. He realized that the other exorcist must have been awake the whole time – something that annoyed Kanda. He didn’t like to be caught off guard.  
  
Kanda looked back at the fire. “Tch. I’m not tired.”  
  
Marie’s expression remained contemplative. He didn’t say anything at first, with his face angled toward Kanda. Although he couldn’t see him, Marie imagined there was a scowl on the boy’s face – defiant and stubborn.  
  
Marie exhaled softly. “You haven’t slept well for a few days now,” he pointed out gently. “It must make traveling harder for you.”  
  
Kanda’s attention whipped back to Marie, his expression somewhat taken aback at first. However, his features darkened and his dark blue eyes gleamed heatedly.   
  
“I’m _fine_ ,” Kanda spat. “I’m staying awake because someone needs to keep watch. No one else is fucking doing it…”  
  
Despite the tone in which Kanda spoke, Marie’s lips tugged upward. “It’s appreciated. General Tiedoll and I are grateful to have you around.”  
  
The compliment was spoken quietly, and once more, Kanda looked somewhat taken aback. Rather abashedly, he tugged his gaze away from Marie as he stubbornly refocused on the campfire.  
  
The air was quiet, and the fire continued to crackle softly. As Kanda watched the flames, his eyelids once more became heavy, with his consciousness threatening to nod off.   
  
_‘No,’_ he told himself, as he strained to focus. _‘No, just…stay awake…’_   
  
“Do you mind if I play?”  
  
Kanda blinked. He turned back to Marie, expression perplexed. When he looked, Kanda noticed that Marie had several strings hanging from the rings on his fingers, the threads silvery and thin.  
  
Kanda paused, before he shrugged. “I don’t care,” he mumbled.  
  
Marie nodded. He angled his face toward the strings, a look of concentration washing over his features. His other hand shifted, the fingers grazing against the strings.  
  
Softly, Marie began to play.  
  
The notes were quiet. Light and delicate, they chimed like ripples in a pond. The music was strangely bell-like as it reached Kanda’s ears, with the sound instantly soothing. Already, the boy felt a mesmerizing twinge, with the notes bringing him an unusual wash of comfort.  
  
Kanda didn’t want to let his guard down.  
  
Marie continued to play a few moments longer. The notes were always soft and drawn out; he never played quickly.   
  
Eventually, his fingers slowed. The notes faded into a quiet echo, the last of the song vibrating faintly into the air.  
  
“I can stay up,” Marie finally spoke. “If you want to sleep. We’ll be traveling farther tomorrow.”  
  
To this, Kanda didn’t say anything. His nose scrunched up, an aggravated look appearing in his eyes.  
  
Marie paused. His expression was yet again thoughtful before he continued. “You probably don’t want to,” he observed. “I can understand why.”  
  
Kanda blinked. A flicker of curiosity danced across his expression, his gaze wary. The strings from the rings Marie wore still extended out, with Marie’s other hand lingering beside them.  
  
Kanda repositioned himself as he crossed his arms. The warmth of the fire was carried into the air, its heat faintly tickling Kanda’s skin. Again, Kanda felt his eyelids grow heavy. _‘Don’t…’  
  
_ There was a small chime: the birth of a melody, sweet and quiet. It was such a subtle sound, yet one that rang through Kanda’s whole being.  
  
Kanda’s shoulders slumped, his muscles relaxing. Despite his previous reservations, his eyes closed.  
  
As Marie played, Kanda drifted off to sleep.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Tiedoll awoke early the next morning.  
  
The campfire had long since been put out, now nothing more than charred wood and logs. The rest of the campsite was quiet, with the air cool and the sky clear. Tiedoll looked up, spotting not a cloud in sight; it would be a good day for traveling.  
  
Glancing across the pile of wood, Tiedoll blinked in surprise. Kanda was still asleep, curled up against a log and soundless.  
  
“He was up late.”  
  
Turning, Tiedoll's attention landed on Marie. The other exorcist was seated, his back against another log. “Couldn’t sleep for a while. He was pretty tired.”  
  
Tiedoll’s gaze shone with understanding. His attention once more shifted back to Kanda. “We can wait a bit before waking him up. He hasn’t slept well for a while now.”  
  
Tiedoll paused, before he eyed Marie curiously. “How did you get him to fall asleep? Kanda is quite stubborn at times.”  
  
Marie paused, before he angled his face toward where Kanda was. “Just played a little music,” he answered. “Always helps me…”  
  
Tiedoll nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. “I see.”  
  
Neither Tiedoll nor Marie spoke after that.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Maxxim - I hope you enjoyed it! <3
> 
> I always have liked the idea of Kanda finding Marie’s music relaxing. I feel like it’s something they both would have found comfort in, especially given their history with trauma and involvement with the Order. Marie really is the big brother figure Kanda needs. ;__;
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


End file.
